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Inspired by the works of Arthur C. Clarke, J.G. Ballard and Philip K. Dick, Infinite Summer sees Michael Lovett’s NZCA Lines “marry sci-fi futurism to personal intimacies” to produce what must surely be one of the funkiest apocalyptic concept albums of all time. Indeed, also featuring former Ash guitarist Charlotte Hatherley and drummer Sarah Jones (Hot Chip, New Young Pony Club), the follow-up to 2012’s self-titled debut may center on […]

Named after a term used for trained assassins he heard in a documentary on espionage, Skilled Mechanics sees trip-hop trailblazer Tricky assemble his own killer team for the most collaborative studio effort of his lengthy career. Some of those on board are no stranger to the world of Adrian Thaws, including regular vocalist Francesca Belmonte who lends her sultry tones to the eerie synth-balladry of “We Begin,” drummer Luke Harris […]

As you’d expect from a founding member of studious classical-electro outfit Clean Bandit, British-Ugandan vocalist/rapper Love Ssega certainly isn’t short on brainpower. Born and raised in South London, the 24-year-old graduated from Cambridge University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, then made the brave decision to quit the aforementioned Grammy winners to finish his Ph.D. in laser sensing. Love Ssega (real name Ssegawa-Ssekintu Kiwanuka) is just as cultured as he […]

Judging by all the pre-release talk of shunning EDM, steering dance music back into a proper direction and making a piece of art, you’d expect Steve Angello’s second solo LP, Wild Youth, to be something of a game-changer. So it’s slightly baffling to hear that the Stockholm DJ has delivered the kind of unadventurous, generic and largely forgettable record he appears to be rallying against. Indeed, featuring guest appearances from […]

David Bowie, arguably one of the most influential figures in modern music for the past 40-plus years, died on Sunday, Jan. 10 after a battle with cancer. He was 69. While previous rumors of his death in years past were greatly exaggerated, the news has been confirmed by Bowie’s representatives and his son Duncan Jones (via Twitter). The following statement appears on Bowie’s official Facebook page: “David Bowie died peacefully […]

So after crowning Jamie xx’s “Loud Places” and Bob Moses’ Days Gone By as the greatest single and album of 2015 respectively, we now switch our attention to what we can expect to hear over the next twelve months in the world of dance/electronica. The first big album out of the blocks this year is Moth (Jan 22), the third album from alt-pop duo Chairlift, which judging by its first […]

Weekly Mixtape: The Week’s Best Tracks (Edition 6.23.12)

Welcome to this week’s Weekly Mixtape. Here are some of the week’s best tracks. You’re welcome.

Nas ft. Rick Ross, “Accident Murderers” (prod. No ID)

Much as he insists on toeing the line of oversaturation, Rick Ross, with his increasing ubiquity, has yet to become all that grating. You can still press “play” on a track by Nas and register pleasant surprise when, halfway through, Nola’s prince regent cedes the stage to Ross’s guttural cannonball of a voice.

That “Accident Murderers” far outstrips the other offerings from Nas’s forthcoming Life Is Good also helps matters. With a fairly sophisticated investigation of its subject matter and a thunderous, organ-based beat, the track careens through four verses of A-grade material from both MCs.

Meek Mill ft. Rick Ross, “Black Magic”

Rick Ross’s Maybach Music Group has stacked its lineup with a stable of MCs whose talents so thoroughly cover each other’s blind spots as to raise the possibility of them functioning as a single, unbeatable super-unit. Though the label’s Self Made 2 mixtape fails to exploit this possibility to its fullest (owing mostly to a succession of thin beats), tracks like “Black Magic” nonetheless allow two of Maybach’s finest constituents to fill in the cracks in each other’s styles. This track finds Ross’s phlegmatic bark forming a perfect counterpoint to Meek Mill’s whip-quick flow.

It looks like murder is a hot topic this week. Atop a stomping beat from DJ Kay Slay, Philly’s reigning potentates discourse on murder, drugs and other things that sound that much more frightening when backed by rib-rattling horns.

Any excuse to put Freeway on a track is all right with me, and “Microphone Murder” once more reminds us that the longstanding Philadelphia MC gets far less credit than he deserves.

Bangladesh ft. Jadakiss and Pusha T, “100”

Both Bangladesh’s beat and this accompanying video clip fall squarely into the realm of “weird,” which is good, seeing as Pusha T, Jadakiss and hip-hop in general could use a healthy injection of the bizarre at this very moment.

A track based around a robotic vocal sample and a series of de-tuned synthesizers has no right to be this catchy. In this case, the accompanying day-glo asses are actually of a piece with the whole thing’s mood of incongruously engrossing oddity.

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About the Author

Shane Danaher's affection for pop music has peppered his adult life with a variety of aesthetically rewarding and financially disastrous decisions. After moving to Portland, Oregon for college (because that's where he heard Modest Mouse was from) Shane has wound up participating in the music world in roles ranging from 'drummer' to 'promoter' to 'bathroom floor scrubber.' He has toured without money, written about almost every band ever to have come out of the Pacific Northwest, and one time traveled all the way to Los Angeles just to see a catch hip-hop show.
He currently resides in Portland, where he writes about hip-hop, pop and rock music for a variety of publications. He still plays drums. He wants to meet Kanye West.